Sim prisoners - tips needed to prevent escape

The only way I know how to effectively keep sims prisoner in TS4 is to add them to your household, lock them up, and don't ever leave that particular household or home lot until you're done with their "sentence." This is because the game pulls extras from every inactive household (placed or unplaced) in your save, and the game's away system doesn't save your "home" sims' positions or activities and always seems to put your sims in random places when you return home...often places they shouldn't be.

This iteration is really not villainy-friendly at all...